OEM headquarters are home to the City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Activated during large-scale emergencies or special events, the EOC is a central location for senior officials from City, state, and federal agencies and relevant private entities to coordinate response efforts, make decisions, and gather and disseminate information.

With more than 100 workstations to support operations for dozens of agencies during emergencies, the EOC also serves as a clearinghouse for information sharing. The entire facility is linked with a network infrastructure and a shared AV system to allow all agencies to view the same data, video or voice at the same time—which is critical to sharing information and disseminating instructions.

During larger emergencies, the Joint Information Center (JIC) located in the EOC works to draft and disseminate tips and information to the public. The EOC is also the central point for allocation and deployment of resources to support response and recovery efforts, such as vehicles, heavy equipment, fuel, and other emergency supplies.

On November 1, 2007, the EOC won a Special Recognition Award in the annual Excellence in Technology Awards sponsored by the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT).